Ilha Formosa
by Tanoshimi
Summary: A series of oneshots involving Taiwan and other countries. May be slightly surprising. Details inside.
1. Chapter 1

I was poking around my computer when I came across these old files. Upon reading them over, I decided that they weren't as bad as I had thought originally (still pretty bad, though). So I posted them. They are Taiwan-centric and not intended to be romantic; they focus on the interactions between the countries. Also the stuff in here shouldn't be taken too seriously because I am very bad at current events. And I am biased.

Furthermore, the people involved are not always the usual people we associate with Taiwan (i.e. Japan, China, etc.).

So, please read.

* * *

The setting sun provided a nice backdrop for the busy scene, Taiwan thought, as she and England strolled through the night market. There was a general sense of hubbub. She could hear bits of happy conversation, and the vendors at their booths bustling around. Her companion gazed about them wonderingly.

"So, this is the night market?" Taiwan nodded.

"It's set up every evening and lasts for quite a long time. Oh—!" She dragged him to a nearby stand. "This is definitely worth trying!" To the vendor, she requested, "請 給 我 兩 個。" (1) England watched as the woman handed Taiwan two objects wrapped in paper. They proved to be something akin to hot dogs upon closer inspection. It reminded him of America's Independence Day.

"Uh, I'd rather not—" Upon seeing her eager smile, he stopped. She _had _bought it for him, and she _was _his gracious hostess on his trip to her house… _When in Rome, do as the Romans do._ And it did look pretty good. He hesitatingly took a bite. A delicious flavor filled his mouth, and England was momentarily stunned. It was not just a regular American hot dog. This was a tenderly grilled sausage contained in a sheath of fragrant glutinous rice and mouthwatering seasonings. He had never tasted anything like it before.

"Amazing," he said under his breath. Taiwan only grinned even more and led him further into the market. As they walked, she offered,

"Usually, the line at that stand gets very long during night market hours. It's a good thing that we arrived earlier." The British country nodded.

"Thank you for that. It was splendid."

"You're welcome! But there is still much more to explore." They passed by racks of garments, shops filled with little knickknacks that posed as souvenirs, and countless more booths and restaurants. Taiwan bade them stop at every stand that had something interesting to offer. Within the course of an hour, England had tasted everything from noodles to exotic fruits. As he polished off his last piece of guava, she brought him to another booth. There was a large, shallow tub of water there. An old man sat behind it. He seemed to be the stand's proprietor. Taiwan said something to him, and he gave her two wooden sticks that had hooked strings attached at the ends. She turned to him.

"I think you will enjoy this, Arthur 先 生. (2) At this stand, you use these sticks to fish for shrimp." Her graceful hand indicated the black creatures at the bottom of the tub. "You have to hook as many as possible before your string breaks. Afterwards, you can grill your catch over there." He looked towards the small grill situated in the corner.

"That sounds quite interesting," England replied. She told him slyly,

"I bet I can catch more than you."

"Really?" A smile of his own began to form. "Do I hear a wager?"

"Winner gets to choose the next destination. Loser pays for everything there."

"I must warn you, miss, that I can be quite aggressive in a competition." She smiled teasingly.

"Is that a "yes"?" His competitive streak took over.

"Let's go."

The bet ultimately ended in Taiwan's favor, seven to four. The two walked away from the stand munching on hot grilled shrimp. England griped good-naturedly,

"You only won because you were able to practice." Her laughter was like the chiming of bells.

"I won't deny that."

"Well, where to?" Her brow wrinkled in thought. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled.

"I know! Follow me." Taiwan took him to a small stand at the end of the street. The vendor was busy tending to a customer at the moment. As they waited in line, she introduced him to the next culinary wonder.

"I know how much you like tea, so I want to introduce you to a Taiwanese specialty. It's called bubble tea. Milk was added to regular tea, and tapioca pearls were put in as well." Their turn came. "我要兩個珍珠奶茶。" (3) She insisted on paying for them despite the wager. "It's my duty as a hostess," the country protested.

"And it is my duty as a gentleman. I have my dignity and honor to uphold," England told her, and plunked down the money defiantly. "謝謝," (4) he added to the vendor as an afterthought. Taiwan thanked him profusely and watched him take a sip. His murmur of approval lit up her face once again. They had sauntered on for a while when she suddenly asked,

"So, what are your thoughts on Taiwan's night markets?"

"They're wonderful, of course! Just…" He chewed on a tapioca pearl slowly.

"What's the matter?" She seemed genuinely perplexed. England paused before replying.

"All of the food is so superb. And my food—"His pride forced him to stop abruptly. "Some ignoramuses have the misconception that it's terrible. That is absolutely ridiculous, of course!" Fortunately, Taiwan had heard of his infamous cooking skills, and she sought desperately for a way to make him feel better. He was her guest, after all. Before she had a chance to think of an idea, he wrinkled his nose and inquired,

"What is that smell?" Taiwan also sniffed at the air. A grin appeared on her features.

"臭豆腐!" England checked his dictionary.

"Stinky tofu?" _That doesn't sound very appealing._

"It's the unofficial national snack of Taiwan. Would you care to try some?" He blanched immediately, stammering,

"Oh no, I'm fine! You've already fed me so much food, heh… I don't want to impose on you!" She gave him a knowing smile and then noted the sparkle in his green eyes.

"You seem considerably more cheerful." The nation laughed it off.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said airily. _I've finally found a food that is worse than mine, Taiwan. _Unbeknownst to him, she knew what he was thinking. Years of facing the same situation had prepared her for this. And although she bristled a bit, she did not reveal the intricacies of making the tofu nor the praise that it garnered from Taiwanese citizens. She was the hostess, after all.

* * *

Because stinky tofu does _stink_, but it is really good. At least, to a Taiwanese tongue (though I'm American-born). Surprising, huh?

Here are translations for my mediocre Chinese *shame*:

(1) Please give me two.

(2) Mister

(3) I want two bubble teas.

(4) Thank you.

Once again, this interaction is totally fictional. Thought up in my own twisted mind.

Please tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

First of all, I would like to say that the events in this are not entirely true. Heck, I don't even know if the events that happen between America and Taiwan are true. All I know is that it gave me a reason to write about my two countries of nationality and heritage (respectively) together. Also, I realize that this is a touchy topic, and I _did _say before that I was biased. So, you were warned.

* * *

Anxiety was overtaking her. It sneaked up like a panther in the night, an ominous shadow in her usually bright world. She could feel it when China looked at her and when Japan looked away. Always, she would toss her head proudly and strive to keep the worry at bay, if only for a short while. The recession did little to faze her. Even when the typhoon came she would not give up. She pretended that waking in the mornings, drenched by muddy water and hurting where a few more of her people had just lost their homes and much more, was normal. The feelings of rebellion were always there as well. Her population was split between achieving a state of total independence and just merging with China like he wanted. Pride prevented her from doing the latter, but she could not say that the former was her deepest desire. She just wanted to stay as she was at the present: a country that had not yet declared formal independence and was recognized by only a handful of nations as one. It was a safe position that enabled her to retain her relationship with Wong Yao, yet it did not denounce her from being a country. However, her troubles only grew as time passed. America had been paying her more attention recently. He took the time to talk to her when they met one day.

"I'll support you if you decide to... you know..." His voice dwindled to a whisper in her ear, as China walked by." Declare independence. It's tough; I understand. I faced the same problem with England. But it all worked out in the end, right?" He beamed at her, blue eyes twinkling. She smiled back uneasily.

"I appreciate your kind offer, but—"

"Seriously, Taiwan! I'll send over troops and everything! Just give me the word and I'll be there."

"America, I—"

"It's what a hero does." America took her bare hands in his gloved ones. "He helps those in need. And I'm the greatest hero out there. So count on it!" Letting go, he gave her a thumbs up and winked. She watched as he left. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. China went back to her side, frowning.

"What did he want, aru?"

"Nothing," Taiwan muttered brusquely, and she practically ran from him. Her situation had just become even worse. She had tolerated Japan's neutrality in the matter; put aside the fact that her trading partners just were not ready to aid her. However, her problem now was that she had received an offer for help at a most inconvenient time. She almost smiled at the irony. America was very powerful and could probably win the fight for her independence. In turn, her ties with China had a high probability of being ruptured. That she depended on him was the cold, hard truth. Alfred's sweet reassurances were no match for reality.

And so, tension became her companion once again.

* * *

Once again, please review.


	3. Chapter 3

WWII era. Not true (probably) at all. Just based off my fondness for Germany. And Taiwan. Enjoy!

* * *

He was nearly always present; the tall blonde man who was called Germany. The country presided over the meetings that were held. Japan and Northern Italy treated him with respect (or at least, Japan did), and being part of Kiku's house at the time, Taiwan felt that she had an obligation to do so as well. She heard stories about him on the news; how he took down the troops of all nations that dared to stand in his way, how he engineered U-boats to destroy his enemies underwater. All of this, coupled with his commanding appearance, served to make her wary and a little afraid of this Germany. And so she never asked Kiku about him and kept to her own devices. Once, she wandered a little too closely to the place where the Axis Powers met. They had just finished their business, luckily, but to her horror and embarrassment, Ludwig had remained. Taiwan edged away slowly, but he caught her.

"Who are you?" His voice was actually quite kind, albeit a little hoarse. She had heard him shouting at Italy when she had been in her room. Being young, Taiwan had replied back to him, staring at her slipper-clad feet. Germany had seemed amused.

"I won't hurt those who are with my allies. Please don't be afraid." She blushed furiously at having been discovered. Inadvertently, Taiwan gazed into his face. Ludwig's eyes were blue, tinted windows that showed his weariness. It was something that she was well acquainted with. In that moment, she found that the fearsome, god-like country that everybody spoke about was just a tired nation fighting. However, everybody had said that the war was initiated by him. She was curious to find out the truth. Gathering up her courage, Taiwan inquired rashly,

"Why did this war start?" His face grew stony all of a sudden. She stood her ground, although in trepidation that Germany would turn his back on her. However, he told her softly,

"My boss said that it would make Germany great again." His brief sentence led her to ask another question, quietly this time, and incredulously.

"What kind of boss starts a world war to make his nation great?"

"_Ach_, well…a crazy one, I suppose." Ludwig looked guilty and a little flustered. He finished putting his papers into his briefcase, snapping it shut. "Now, _fräulein_, I have to leave. It was nice meeting you." They shook hands, and she was astounded by the warmth of his calloused palm. After he left, Taiwan went back to her quarters, thinking. She realized that Germany was just an obedient country operating on his superior's orders, that the war was not started by him but by his _Führer_ (whom he himself deemed crazy). He fought for his starving, financially troubled people so that they could live again. For that, she gained a genuine sense of respect for him. His sacrifice was one that she would always remember.

She never saw him again after that. The end of World War II highlighted terrifying secrets that had not been revealed until it was too late: the Nazis, concentration camps, the deaths of millions solely because of religion, orientation, or anything else that Hitler saw fit to kill for. Taiwan heard of the broken Germany. He had fought, with the outcomes being little reform and much contempt directed at him. Ludwig was weakened by the deaths of many of his Germans. And so, the mighty will fall, though sometimes for the wrong reasons. When others blamed the country, the only thing that came to Taiwan's mind was the memory of his azure eyes, showing her what words could not say. Thus, she became the wisest of them all.

* * *

How was it?


	4. Chapter 4

A little more cliché. But it's a little more well known around the fandom, so I like writing it. This might be a little truthful (?). Then again, I don't really know.

* * *

It always started like this; he would come during the year with his flock of tourists, and she would receive them. An awkward meeting between the two while the tourists scampered off to take pictures was to be expected. He would offer his greetings and shyly, she would return the favor as etiquette demanded. Then, they would bow to each other and go their separate ways. Such was the relationship between the man and woman. As countries, they were on good terms. She retained some of the traditions that he had given her (a souvenir of his fifty year reign over her island). They traded frequently, did not provoke one another. Theirs was a fairly safe, yet bland, bond. Nothing was expected to happen. This time, however, he prolonged the conversation when he visited.

"It's nice to see you again." She nodded.

"And you as well, Honda-san." The Japanese slipped out, a reminder of the time that they had spent together. Both took note of it silently.

"The plum blossoms are blooming." They always did when he visited in the winter, so she knew that he was really trying his hardest to keep them talking.

"Yes. They are very beautiful this year." She realized that she and Kiku had never really spoken to each other. There were always the times when she defended him from Wong Yao, but she supposed that they didn't count. They were quiet for a while. Thinking that Japan had nothing else to say, her mind began to mull over other matters. Suddenly—

"You've grown up, Taiwan." Flushing, she looked at him confusedly.

"What makes you say that?" Now, it was Japan who blushed, his face as red as a Fuji apple.

"You're not the young girl who was a part of my house anymore." Well, many years _had_ passed since that time, so it was only natural for some alterations to occur.

"I haven't changed that much." Okay, so maybe she did. But she had to show her due respect to her second older brother. His piercing brown eyes ascertained the truth. Kiku did not say anything, though. Taiwan was suddenly seized with an idea. She took hold of his arm, smiling tentatively.

"Do you want to do something together, Honda 先生?" Her deliberate use of Chinese reminded him of the gap between their countries. Since he was hardly in any position to refuse, Japan uttered a soft "yes" and allowed himself to be led away. Gone were the days when he was the one in charge; how the world had changed in only a matter of years! Taiwan detected the wistfulness in his expression and felt a wave of nostalgia herself. She tugged on his sleeve a little more forcefully, as if that simple action could rid her of unwanted emotions.

"Where would you like to go?" she asked. Kiku shook his head.

"Anywhere will suffice, Taiwan-chan." Yet another memory from the past resurfaced. Her old nickname was brushed off as they entered a teahouse.

She couldn't help but think that they were just reminiscent fools in the end.

* * *

Now here is the moment of truth. Would you like it if I continued this? Or was it so horribly bad that I should just forget about it entirely? It is up to you, dear readers, both for the continuation of this fanfiction and for ideas. Because if you want me to continue, I'd really appreciate some help with what to write about. And also, I'd like to know your opinons about what I've written already. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, those who were waiting. I was sort of busy all this time. Due to the kind opinions of many who reviewed, favorited, etc., I have been convinced to continue this endeavor. So, thanks everyone! I just hope that my writing hasn't deteriorated and you won't be disappointed...

And I'll be putting some of the suggestions I've received into good use once I finish writing Taiwan with the rest of the G8. So, never fear!

* * *

"_Fratello_," Italy whispered to his brother, who was standing at his side dumbfounded. "She's buying us out of everything we have!" Romano could not say anything. He merely gaped at the pink and gold hurricane that was Taiwan as she whirled through the store. Her arms were laden with shopping bags, all emblazoned with names like Gucci or Armani or Prada. Right now she was speed walking through rows of Versace purses. There was an almost manic glint in her eye.

"Would you guys happen to have this in black?" she suddenly enquired, showing them a startling red bag with a striated leather design.

"I-I think so," Veneciano stuttered with a nervous smile. "I'll go check in the storage room." He quickly fled, leaving his brother behind. Romano began to perspire. Taiwan had called them up a week ago, cheerfully requesting to visit Italy for her vacation. The brothers had agreed and offered to give her a tour of their country. It had gone well enough for the most part: they had shown her places like the Coliseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. She had also seemed to enjoy the Sistine Chapel very much, as well as the Trevi Fountain. On the last day of her stay, she had inquired after the shopping. As the brothers were rather proud of their shopping enterprise, they had taken her to some big shopping centers.

Oh, what fools they were.

They were now trapped like helpless little animals as Taiwan had dragged them on a rampage through the many stores. Fendi, Armani, Missoni, Gucci, Valentino, Prada, and now, Versace. She had purchased tens of thousands of garments and accessories, it seemed, and Veneciano and Romano were very frightened for the welfare of their product stocks. How could they possibly regain their original amount? The younger Italy now made his way back timorously, clutching the black Versace bag in his shaking hands.

"Here you go," he said weakly, brandishing the bag with a squeak as Taiwan swept over to examine it.

"Hmm… Thanks!" She snatched it out of his hands and continued to walk around the store. Soon, she had amassed a sizable pile of items in her arms. She struggled to make her way to the cash register. All of the clerks looked fearfully at the motile mountain of clothes and accessories as it finally reached the place of one of their own. The poor young man manning the station trembled and gulped.

"_Buon giorno, signorina, _ah – how are you today?"

"Fine, thank you!" Taiwan beamed at him, completely missing his terrified eyes. "I'd like to purchase these."

"Yes. Of course." He began to type it all into his computer. His customer looked on with a bright, eager gaze. The young man looked up to find her eyes trained on his face. "The total will be…"

* * *

"Thanks, guys! That was great," Taiwan told her hosts. Five more bags had been added to her collection. "I feel really trendy now."

"No problem, Taiwan, but… aren't you tired now?" Veneciano asked timorously.

"You've been walking a lot. Maybe you'd like to take a rest somewhere?" Romano added on, hoping she would take the hint. "There are plenty of nice cafes around..." He gesticulated some that were situated rather far away from their present location. Oh, to be among the delicious cakes and coffee and gelato. Maybe even a nice plate of pasta with plenty of tomatoes...

No such luck.

"Oh no, it's perfectly fine, I'm not tired at all!"she exclaimed cheerfully. "Shall we move onto Ferragamo?"

* * *

The Taiwanese do love their name brands. I am proud to partake in manic shopping for luxury items myself. So, how was it? Please tell me and warn me if my writing is getting worse!

And sorry for the shortness.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey again! I'm really, really sorry that I haven't posted in forever... But I was sort of busy and didn't have inspiration and my writing deteriorated and this chapter is so, so bad.

Still, I'd really appreciate it if you read it. :)

* * *

"Hey." The addressed turned at the voice, startled.

"Yes?"

"You're Taiwan, right?" _Of course she is. _Every nation knew every other nation; that was a given. Prussia had only called that out as a courtesy. Taiwan knew too. Her liquid brown eyes stared into him.

"Yes," she conceded amusedly. "Can I help you?"

"I was hoping we could go somewhere after the meeting." He was interested about her, after all. Prussia had seen her around through the course of history. There was the Sino-German Cooperation, as well as that time he and West had gone over to Japan's house during the war… not to mention those earliest days when he had overheard Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands talking about some island that they had once occupied. And Prussia had never known an Asian on a personal basis, so…

"Why?" Her question was full of innocent curiosity. But he knew that there was an underlying wiliness to it, if what he gathered about China's sly ways was accurate. He scrabbled around for an answer.

"To… discuss German-Taiwanese relations, of course! Wes—My brother," he corrected hastily; the more formality he used the less suspicious he would seem,"asked me to speak with you." If West ever found out about this little white lie he would go berserk. Of course Prussia knew he wasn't supposed to muck around in national affairs like this, but he would clear it up… as soon as he figured out how to. Taiwan crooked an eyebrow. To his relief, however, she merely replied,

"Alright. Where should we meet?"

"Here, in the lobby. I'll take you to eat somewhere."

"…Sounds good. I'll see you then!" She left, and Prussia rejoiced. _I'm awesome, to have been able to handle that so smoothly! Just like a little bird, kesesese… _He sauntered back into the conference hall five minutes late. As usual, no one noticed. He went over to his seat beside his brother, wishing that he had been allowed to bring Gilbird. It would have been a little less lonely.

All throughout the meeting, he stole glances over at the East Asian part of the table. Taiwan was there, diligently taking notes. She was the quietest one in the group. The rest were shouting over her, under her, even through her. It was like she wasn't even there. They were alike, Prussia realized, in that neither of them were really recognized. He was only the eastern portion of Germany, she the little island off the Asian mainland. The difference was that he fought to be acknowledged and she just took in the bitterness. He wondered what it felt like, to have never experienced the thrill of nationhood running up and down one's being. It must be a dreary existence, he decided, as he looked over at her once again. He unfortunately caught the attention of China. The man squinted at him suspiciously. Prussia just smirked slightly and saluted him. China turned away, no doubt passing off his strange antics as an enigmatic trait of "those odd foreigners, aiyaa."

None too soon, the summit concluded. After England had had his last laugh (after which France chuckled out of earshot), everyone was free to go. Prussia waved off Germany's concern about his activities and made his way to the lobby.

She was already there.

Taiwan was observing the extravagant paintings and such on the walls (no matter what he said, England was still one to show off). Her back was to Prussia, her arms at her sides. Her position, framed against the stark white wall of the lobby, served to make her seem solitary and alone. The other nation felt uncomfortable. He walked over to her, standing slightly behind her.

"England's a pretty ostentatious guy, eh?" His voice made her start. She whipped around.

"Ah, I'm sorry; I was looking at the paintings. I didn't notice you there." Her softly accented English fluttered into his ears. He wondered if he should continue speaking in German or switch to English or Chinese. Well, his Mandarin wasn't great, so…

"That's alright. Shall we go?" She smiled at him. He wasn't sure if it was one of consent or if it was because of his heavily-accented English. Damn those mysterious Asians.

"Where are we going?"

"I saw a tavern across the road." She pursed her lips but said,

"That's fine." They walked there side by side. The servers inside looked up excitedly as they entered. They were ushered to a small table in the back, a private place without any other people to hear them talk. Their orders were quickly taken and they were left to themselves. The two looked at each other. Taiwan gave a small grin.

"I saw you looking at our part of the table during the conference."

"…Yeah." Prussia rubbed his head sheepishly. "China caught me."

"I know. The look on his face was priceless." Her tranquil gaze remained level. "You didn't bring me here to talk about relations between our countries, did you?" He had suspected that she knew all along, but he didn't know what to say.

"No, I didn't. I…" What was it that he wanted to do again?

"Well, let's just talk." He nodded gratefully for her intervention in his befuddled thoughts. Prussia scrutinized her. Taiwan was so small, so young… how was she able to figure out a weathered old nation like him so easily? He hated how he was at a loss for words. Thankfully, their food came. His companion eyed her plate dubiously. She poked at it. Prussia chuckled.

"Seems that we forgot about the reputation of England's food."

"I should have remembered," Taiwan lamented. "He offered me some once."

"Me too! I almost died after eating what he cooked." They laughed genially. The words flowed easily now.

"I don't think I've ever really talked to you before," Taiwan told him. She nibbled at the thing on her fork, winced, then put it down. "In fact, I've never seen you outside of meetings."

"I've seen you around." Prussia looked into her eyes. They were endless, hypnotizing. "During the Sino-German Cooperation. China was at the main meetings, but I saw you at the side." She seemed surprised.

"Is that so?"

"And there was that time when we went to Japan's house during World War II. I saw you there as well." He remembered that she was dressed in a richly patterned kimono. Her hair had been intricately arranged, adorned with golden combs tipped with pearls. Japan had treated his model colony well, though he had isolated her.

"Oh! I'm sorry that I've never noticed you before, even though we had met several times." This apologetic statement made Prussia recall his musings during the meeting.

"It seems that neither of us is really noticed. We're always in the background, you and me." She furrowed her brow.

"Why is that?" Her inquiry reminded Prussia that for all her enigmatic mien, Taiwan was still very young. She was unaware of many things in the world.

"Well, our situations are different," he explained, settling comfortably into the topic. "Me, I'm just part of Germany. West is the main face of our country, so no one really bothers with me." He must have displayed too much bitterness in his tone because Taiwan looked at him pityingly. "Anyway," he continued, clearing his throat," you're different. You're stuck in a difficult political situation. You're not acknowledged because some people don't want to antagonize you or China." He added in hastily, "Some can't afford to." She looked a little sad at that. Then, she gazed at him again, her face back to that sympathetic expression.

"For all my opinion is worth," Taiwan told him, shyly even, "I admire you, Mr. Prussia." A tentative smile slipped out. Prussia was confused.

"Thanks, I guess," he muttered. Then he grinned as well. Taiwan's eyes reflected his image. He saw himself in them, smiling genuinely. "Like I said, we're sort of alike."

"It seems like it," she agreed. The rest of the time at the tavern was spent in silence. Nevertheless, it was a comfortable silence that allowed them to bask in a mutual glow of gladness.

When they parted after promising to meet again in the future, both felt more content. There was someone else in the world who understood what they each felt. For that, they would continue to work hard.

Perhaps then they would someday be recognized.

* * *

How was it? By the way, I'm putting Prussia in as the Eastern part of Germany, so as to keep him in the G8. Of which I will finish writing with Taiwan so I can get onto the others (like Spain 3).


End file.
